Motorola will formally launch the Moto X this Thursday – of that, the manufacturer’s been keeping no secret. What happens after that, though, has been a lot less certain. Many of the most recent rumors and leaks surrounding the start of Moto X retail sales have been looking to a timetable closer to the end of August. What if Motorola is actually planning to get things moving quite a bit earlier? That’s what a rumor today has us wondering, claiming that Motorola could kick-off Moto X sales right away on launch day, August 1.

Supposedly, certain carriers are receiving Moto X shipments now, with the plan to have the handsets ready to sell on Thursday. By this account, these would be simple black or white models, and you’d still have to place an order online to get a Moto X with custom colors.

It’s not a crazy idea – and truth be told, we’ve had the lingering sense that there’s still some component to Motorola’s plans for this Thursday that we’ve yet to fully appreciate – but there’s still a lot more we’d like to know before biting. Like which carriers would be getting these early shipments, for instance? And why – if there are these boxes of Moto X handsets sitting around in back rooms at all these stores – haven’t any employees leaked a pic or two?